1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to information recording systems, and more particularly to a fully automated tracking system for recording the service life history and configuration of gas turbine engines.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Modern jet engines, such as the F-100 gas turbine engine, are constructed on a modular basis. In the F-100 engine there are as many as six separate engine modules which in combination make up the entire engine assembly. This allows individual modules to be replaced at periodic service intervals, when their individual service life is used up, or when unanticipated failure occurs. Each module is identified at manufacture with a data plate, mounted at a convenient location on the module body, which provides module information including an identification (ID) code typically having a mnemonic identifying the type of module and a multi-digit serial number. Each data plate is visible on the module, however, once assembled in the engine data plates of the modules installed within the engine housing are not visible. Even for visible modules the data plates may be inaccessible in the assembled engine. As a result the logistics involved in tracking a given module during its service life, or in maintaining current configuration information on a particular engine, involves manual recording of the module data plate information prior to installation. These present tracking schemes rely heavily on the reliability of manual logging on paper forms by maintenance personnel and the manual transcribing via keypunch into an information system. This, however, is subject to user apathy and inaccuracy, resulting in information gaps as to the history of any individual engine module which severely limit the ability to analyze and diagnose engine malfunctions, or in providing accurate information for use in investigative procedures of aircraft malfunctions.